When publishing a book, authors know that there is very little that is more valuable than an advanced reader– someone who is willing to read and review your book before publication – lending your book credibility from an unbiased perspective.
But how do you get your book out to a wide audience without breaking the bank? That’s where digital advanced reader copies (ARCs) come into play. NetGalley and Edelweiss are two platforms that house digital copies of ARCs so authors, publishers, and publicists can safely send out digital copies to interested readers before pub date.
So, what’s the difference between NetGalley and Edelweiss?
First, let’s zero in on your target audience. What’s your genre? Who is your ideal reader? How wide are you trying to go?
NetGalley is a platform that, historically, caters to publicity rather than sales. While they do attract a wide audience (librarians, bloggers, book reviewers, booksellers, etc.) they are generally more beloved amongst bloggers and independent reviewers. If you’re looking to get your hands on some reviewers who are ~advanced~ in the art of requesting and reviewing ARCs then NetGalley is the place for you. Check out our super duper scientific pyramid chart that demonstrates the intensity of the NG reviewer:
Edelweiss is a platform that is geared a bit more towards sales– they primarily focus on librarians and booksellers, and some independent reviewers have claimed to have a pretty low approval rate on Edelweiss.
The platforms by the numbers:
According to the 2023 Edelweiss review: “the number of users active on Edelweiss continues to grow year after year. Up from 2022, the number of unique users on the site has increased 10%. And, 59 U.S. indie bookstores began sending us their POS data this year—bringing the total number of U.S. Trade Analytics Stores to 661 in Q3 of 2023.”
Source: Edelweiss 2023 Year in Review for Publishers
NetGalley, on the other hand, does outperform Edelweiss by the numbers, which you can see below from a screenshot from their April 2024 community report. While Edelweiss reported 230,000+ users in 2023 NetGalley is significantly outpacing them with a whopping 600,000+ active members:
Source: NetGalley Community Report, April 2024
What are the reviewers saying?
There are pros and cons to both sites, but don’t just take our word for it. Vicky over at Vicky Who Reads says that even though the NetGalley site is more visually appealing and easier to navigate she prefers how Edelweiss allows users to add notes for the publisher: “Edelweiss allows you to write a paragraph (or ten) about why you are requesting that title and why you want to read it, and although the publisher might not read beyond your personal description, it does provide the opportunity to emphasize why you would love to read & honestly review one of their novels.”
Meanwhile, Georgiana, who is the blogger behind Readers’ High Tea says “I will definitely continue asking for access to advanced reading copies via NetGalley, as I am happy with the experience I’ve had so far. Ever since I started using NetGalley I stopped using Edelweiss, and at the moment I do not think I’ll go back again.” Check out her full blog post where she breaks down the pros and cons of NetGalley from a reviewer perspective!
Sammy who blogs at We Write At Dawn breaks down the approval rates from NetGalley compared to Edelweiss:
“…I have a better chance of getting approved through NetGalley than on Edelweiss any day! But I’ll put some (poorly done) math below! Approved / (Pending) + (Denied)
Chance of getting approved on NetGalley: 63%
Chance of getting approved on Edelweiss: 6%
Yeah, my math is probably flawed, but just looking at the percent difference makes me want to cry!”
Keep in mind that authors can set their approval criteria when they upload their book to NetGalley or Edelweiss. However if, historically, users are more likely to be approved on one platform than another then that will impact where your niche audience might be most active.
Final thoughts:
There are pros and cons to each site and picking which platform is best for your book will ultimately depend on who your target audience is and what your goals are with promoting digital ARCs. Your Books Forward publicist can give expert insight on which platform may yield better results with that information in mind!
A literary omnivore and influential Bookstagrammer, Layne applies her vivid creativity for every title we promote by deftly coordinating news coverage and events for authors, writing and editing diverse content for social media, and assisting with Books Forward’s social media engagement initiatives.
As a former special education teacher, Layne firmly believes in the importance of literature and accessibility. This unique point of view is an asset in her publicity efforts as she works to reach readers across various platforms and demographics.
Layne received her Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing and Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and her Masters of Art in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. She lives in New Orleans with her loyal, but sadly illiterate cat, Macaroni.
